Driving Report

Early summer is a perfect season for driving. It may be nice to get away from crowded streets of the city to see Mother Nature and enjoy the soul healing time. This issue of "+ Driving" is intended to take advantage of weekend/holiday limited ETC toll discount. We introduce you a couple of driving courses, one takes you to the mountains and the other to the beach where you and your family can enjoy camping and BBQ.

To The Mountains! To The Sea! - Take advantage of the limited-toll discount for ETC users!

1 Drive across the Tokyo Bay area - to Boso Peninsula 9:00am - 11:00am

Start off from the Tokyo Bay Aqua Line to Umihotaru. Passo Sette is your company of driving. It will load your entire camping outfit and a foldable bike. The wide windshield provides you a good visibility.

Umihotaru is located in the middle of the sea and has a spectacular panoramic view. There are four service areas, which sell 700 to 1,000 popular home-made sweet buns a day, many hamburgers made of sardines as well as steamed seafood buns. In addition to that, there is an area where you can enjoy a foot spa (free) while watching the ocean.

The gate of Kisarazu Aqua Wakuwaku market There are variety of Chiba-local vegetables! Kisarazu is also famous for bamboo shoots Fish from Tokyo-bay These are Fukko, a kind of Japanese seapearch from adjacent sea Many kinds of Tsukudani, fish boiled in soy sauce Its specialty is

Tokyo Bay Aqua Line Umihotaru PA

address
Access: 10km from Kawasaki Ukishima junction,5km from Kusatsu Kaneda Exit.
toll
1,000 yen (weekend & holiday limited discount)
Ukishima Exit - Umihotaru PA - Kusatsu Kaneda Exit
parking
387cars

Souvenirs

  • Souvenirs
Premium Melon flavor buns (only sell 80 each day) 260 yen for each
Yubari King Melon flavor buns ¥180 each
Haney Melon flavor buns ¥180 each
    1. Premium Melon
      flavor buns
      (only sell 80 each day) 260 yen for each
    2. Yubari King Melon flavor buns ¥180 each
    3. Haney Melon flavor buns 180 yen each
  • Handmade flied sardine cake 980 yen per bag

    Handmade flied sardine cake 980 yen per bag

  • Steamed clam buns ¥350 each

    Steamed clam buns
    350 yen each

  • Umihotaru-kun (blue) /Umihotaru-chan (pink) body pillow ¥1,800 each

    Umihotaru-kun (blue) /Umihotaru-chan (pink) body pillow 1,800 yen each

  • Umihotaru-kun cushion 2,100 yen

    Umihotaru-kun cushion 2,100 yen

  • Umihotaru-kun stuffed toy 2,940 yen

    Umihotaru-kun stuffed toy 2,940 yen

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2 Get fresh ingredients from the local area (Chiba)!! 11:15am - 11:45am

After a short break at Umihotaru, move on to the market to get fresh local products for BBQ. In Aqua Wakuwaku Market, there are 35 shops where you can buy seafood and vegetables from the local farms for very reasonable price. Bamboo shoots, giant clams etc…the price and the size will impress you for sure!

The gate of Kisarazu Aqua Wakuwaku market There are variety of Chiba-local vegetables! Kisarazu is also famous for bamboo shoots Fish from Tokyo-bay These are Fukko, a kind of Japanese seapearch from adjacent sea Many kinds of Tsukudani, fish boiled in soy sauce Its specialty is

Aqua Wakuwaku Marke

Address
217-11 Urikura, Kusatsu-shi
Hours
9:00am - sunset (seven days a week)
Parking
100 cars

The popular cafeteria "Kamome Shokudo", which is frequently introduced on TV is located in this market.

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BBQ & camping in the mountains 1:00pm - 3:15pm

This mountain course starts from Kisarazu and goes on to Kimitsu. After driving through a tranquil countryside, the destination, auto-camping site Fruit Village appears in your sight. It is a time for BBQ. Grilled local products taste so good in the great nature - almost as good as a meal at a three-star restaurant. Bon appetite!!

Due to time restraints, we have to skip here but there are canoe classes available for all levels including beginners and children. If you have a bike, also biking may be something that you will enjoy there.

This is the entrance of Auto Camp Fruit Village In the camping site Even beginners can try Canadian canoeing There are also log cabins for 4 to 6 people

Auto Camp Fruit Village

address
96 Tabina, Kimitsu-city, Chiba
time
8:00am - 7:00pm (7 days a week)
price
2,000 yen/day
parking
10cars

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4-1 Seasonal Fruit Picking 3:20pm - 4:15pm

Within a 5 minute-drive distance from the auto camping site, there is a farm where you can pick seasonal fruit all year round. That is where the name fruit village came from. Strawberry in early May, blueberry in late May, and pear in mid summer. Not only fruit but wild vegetables and sweet potatoes are also available depending on the season (Please contact the farm for the details and admission as it varies by season).

Inside of plastic greenhouse Strawberry's season is April and May

Tabina Kanko Farm Fruit Village

address
Tabina 409, Kimitsu-shi
tel
0439-38-2747
time
9:00am - 5:00pm (weekends and holidays), 10:00am - 5:00pm (weekdays)
Business Holiday: irregular
Holiday:irregular
price
500 yen/adult (in case of strawberry picking in May)
parking
30cars
Fruit picking season
Spring
Spring:
Strawberry, bamboo shoot, wild vegetables
Summer
Summer:
Blueberry, pear
Fall
Chestnut, sweet potato
Winter
Winter:Strawberry

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3-2 BBQ and camping at the beach 12:30pm - 2:40pm

The beach course starts from Kisarazu and goes on to Futtsu. We chose an easy driving route to Uchibo coast. Futtsu Park, which is sticking out towards the Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the ocean. The 9,900 square meter camping site is located in the pine woods and it is available for both BBQ and camping. There are 12 furnaces for BBQ and other items such as iron plate, pot, grill net etc. are available for rent.

Besides BBQ and camping, you can also enjoy swimming (indoor & outdoor swimming pools available) and playing tennis. During summer, a giant pool is open for the period of late July to late August.

The "Meiji Memorial Observatory Tower" located at the tip of the park offers an amazing view of Tokyo Bay.

You can also drive off to the beach, it's so close! This is Meiji Memorial Observatory Tower which is built to commemorate Meiji 100th anniversary Spacious BBQ site Today's BBQ: Beef, big clam, onion, and egg plant!

Chiba Prefectural Futtsu Park

Address
Oaza Motosu, Futtsu-city, Chiba
Parking
525 cars
BBQ area
Admission
500 yen / person
Hours
10:00am - 3:00pm

Back to route map & agenda

4-2 Clam Picking at the beach 2:45pm - 4:45pm

Next to Futtsu Park, there is a clam picking area maintained by the Futtsu Fisherman's Cooperative Association. From little clams to big ones, you can enjoy clam picking from March through August. We recommend you to check the tide schedule before you go.

Available for 1,200 cars in the parking space Here's clam picking beach You can wash seashells here with seawater

Futtsu Kaigan Clam Picking Site

Address
2307-2 Futtsu, Futtsu-city, Chiba
holiday
Hours Varies depending on the tide
Admission
Adult - 1,400 yen (up to 2 kg), Child - 700 yen (up to 1 kg)
parking
1,200 cars

Clam picking

Child Adult
Up to primary school students
about 1 kg with a net bag
Over junior high students
about 2 kg with a net bag
700 yen 1,400 yen

Resting room

Up to primary school students Over junior high students
200 yen 300 yen

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5 Enjoy a romantic evening view 5:30pm - 7:40pm

After the fun BBQ and more, it is time to pack up and go home. Well, not quite. Actually, there is one more quick stop to make. On your way home, you will see the gorgeous sunset at Umihotaru, which is totally different from the lively view of daytime. You may want to go up to the top floor of the building and watch the sunset and the skyline of what is called "magic time"…approximately 10 min. after the sunset.

Seaside blue illumination in Umihotaru Night view of Tokyo-bay Aqua Line from Umihotaru The ocean view from Umihotaru This is a huge monument mocked a cutter face of one of the slurry shield machine, 14.14m big, same as actual one.

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Driving Companion of this issue

Pass Sette has 3 rows seats for 7 people capacityPass Sette has 3 rows seats for 7 people capacityWide front glass

Passo Sette Grade1.5X: Apricot Candy Metallic

Drive train
2WD
Capacity
7 people
Fuel efficiency
15.6km/L (10:15 mode)
MSRP
1.49M yen (consumption tax include)
Dealer
Toyota Corolla

Comments from driver

The steering wheel of Passo Sette is very light and I felt very stable the whole time I was driving it…even in the mountains and highways. Even when we were driving in the mountains with three passengers, the eco-friendly driving indicator was active indicating the car was in a fuel-efficient mode. The fuel economy of the car just impressed me. The back guide monitor provided a good rear view when I was parking at the camping site.

Comments from passenger

The interior is much more spacious than it looks from the exterior…that was my first impression of Passo Sette. It has three rows of seats for seven passengers, but it will not make you feel tight. The wide windows provide a great panoramic view and it was especially nice when we were driving over the sea from Umihotaru to Kisarazu. As there was enough space to stretch legs in the rear seats, 2nd and 3rd row passengers were comfortable too. The rear doors seemed to be large enough to put a baby on a child seat smoothly.

Cooperation by

Toyota Nishi Tokyo Corolla (West Tokyo)
Sakuragaoka Branch Toyota Nishi Tokyo Corolla (West Tokyo)Sakuragaoka Branch Store Manager

Toyota Nishi Tokyo Corolla (West Tokyo) Sakuragaoka Branch

Address
4-8-3 Sekido, Tama-shi, Tokyo
Access
At the corner of intersection at "Kenko Center Entrance" on Kawasaki Gaido Way
Tel
042-375-5111
Hours
9:30 am - 7 pm (7 days a week)
Comments on Passo Sette from Toyota Nishi Tokyo Corolla (West Tokyo)Sakuragaoka Branch Store Manager
Total of 9 colors are available for Passo Sette. It is designed to make driving simple and easy.
There many pockets inside the car to keep your car neat and clean.

※All information from this issue is as of February 2009

LEXUS ver.

日本語

MyToyota.jp Staff talk

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